New Year’s Eve Fireworks Banned in Budapest City Center

Crowded Christmas fair at the St. Stephen’s Basilica in District V

Mayor Péter Szentgyörgyvölgyi put the public’s concerns first in his decision to ban fireworks in the tourist areas and squares of District V (Belváros-Lipótváros) on New Year’s Eve. Anyone who still decides to set off fireworks can be fined HUF 200,000 (EUR 480), Magyar Nemzet reports.

“The municipality has always taken its measures in the spirit of peaceful coexistence and, above all, in the interests of the residents. Therefore, at last week’s council meeting, a unanimous decision was taken on my proposal to regulate fireworks in District V following numerous professional consultations with the Budapest Police Headquarters,” Péter Szentgyörgyvölgyi, Mayor, told Magyar Nemzet. The mayor added that he is confident that thanks to the new regulation, everyone who greets the New Year in the city center will be able to enjoy a peaceful, safe and accident-free celebration.

At a press conference, the District V Municipality and the Budapest Police Headquarters stressed that anyone using fireworks in certain areas of Belváros-Lipótváros will be subject to sanctions. As they said, Budapest, as it is all year round, is a safe and beautiful place during the holidays, and the Christmas markets in the city center attract not only the people of Budapest, but also fellow citizens from all over the country, as well as foreign tourists.

These fairs, decorated public squares and streets are crowded with people spending their free time, and compared to normal weekdays, they are crowded.

The use of pyrotechnic devices is restricted from 6 p.m. on December 28, 2024 to 6 a.m. on January 1, 2025 by order of the Municipality of Belváros-Lipótváros.

The police have also drawn attention to the fact that it is still prohibited for individuals to possess or use firecrackers in Hungary.

They stressed that pyrotechnic articles of Class 1 may be purchased and used without a license by persons aged 14 or over, while pyrotechnic articles of Class 2 may be purchased and used without a license by persons aged 16 or over throughout the year. Fireworks of pyrotechnic article Class 3 may be purchased, possessed, stored and used by persons of legal age without authorization from December 28 6 p.m. to to January 1 6 a.m. During this period, professional pyrotechnic articles of Class 4 with a high active substance content may only be purchased by a qualified pyrotechnician in possession of a valid license.

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